Thread: AZ-Foes call illegal-hiring measure a sham

Foes call illegal-hiring measure a sham
by Mary Jo Pitzl - Oct. 2, 2008 12:00 AM

A day after a poll showed a new employer-sanctions proposal passing handily, some of the state's staunchest foes of illegal immigration called the ballot measure a sham.

"Proposition 202 is a fraud on the voters," said Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas. "In fact, it would enable illegal hiring."

Prop. 202 is the Stop Illegal Hiring Act, created by business groups unhappy with the state's employer-sanctions law. They say their aim is to keep the framework of the 2007 law intact, but to close loopholes, such as the current law's inability to go after employers who pay their workers only in cash.
The measure, which goes before voters in the Nov. 4 general election, loosens the screening requirement placed on Arizona employers for new hires and raises the threshold for filing complaints about illegal hires by requiring complaints to be signed, rather than anonymous.

A Cronkite/Eight poll released Tuesday showed Prop. 202 passing with 63 percent, with 19 percent opposed.

But state Rep. Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, who authored the state's sanctions law, said he believes if voters understood what was in Prop. 202, the measure would fail.

"Prop. 202 is just the opposite of what it says," Pearce said at a news conference also attended by Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Minuteman Civil Defense Corps president Chris Simcox and several Republican lawmakers.

Pearce and his colleagues said they would spread the word about the ballot measure.

Simcox said the Minutemen will launch an educational effort on Prop. 202.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... s1002.html

Politicians speak out against Prop 202
October 1st, 2008 @ 3:00pm
by Bob McClay/KTAR

Several top state politicians said at a press conference that Proposition 202 is wrong for Arizona.

Known as the "Arizona Stop Illegal Hiring Act," it requires that only federal laws be followed when attempting to verify a person's legal status.

The bill would basically prevent the state from prosecuting employers who hire illegal immigrants, as it would raise the the standard of proof.

State representative Russell Pearce called it "the most deceptive piece of garbage that has been put before the public."

"You can't investigate until after the federal government completes [their investigation], and it relieves you of the mandatory use of E-Verify," Pearce said.

E-Verify is an online database managed by the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration. It allows employers to verify the work status of their potential employees.

Rep. John Kavanaugh said the bill targets "illegal aliens who cannot work here, and the disreputable business people who hire them at cheap wages to outdo their competitors."

Both Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas and Sheriff Joe Arpaio oppose Proposition 202.

http://ktar.com/?nid=6&sid=967713